“I have to be neutral in all areas, except football,” said the king.
In 2023, King Willem-Alexander looked back on his ten years as king during the podcast Through the eyes of the King, together with radio producer Edwin Evers. In it, he revealed that he must always remain neutral, except when it comes to football. The king therefore cheers loudest for this club – besides the Orange team of course…
Thanks to Cruijff
In the fourth episode of his podcast it quickly becomes clear that there is only one club that makes the king’s heart beat faster: Ajax! He explains how his love for Ajax arose when he discusses the year 2016 with Edwin Evers, in which Johan Cruijff died.
The king says that he was once taken to Ajax by ‘an old friend of his grandfather’ and that he met Cruijff there during half time. The footballer promised the then prince to wave to him if he scored a goal, which happened. “That’s where my love for Ajax started,” the king explains.
Evers is surprised by the king’s openness, as a popular radio DJ he has learned not to express any preference about football. The king: “I have to be neutral in all areas, except football.” And: “I just dare to do it and that is thanks to Cruijff.”
Dear ambassadors
He calls ‘great footballers the best ambassadors of their country’ and remembers that he was able to present a cup to Lionel Messi in 2005, after Argentina’s victory in the final of the Youth World Cup in the Netherlands.
“Later I was in Kenya, on the coast, and a little boy said to me: ‘I know you’. ‘From what?’ I asked. ‘You gave a cup to Messi’.”
The Netherlands-Argentina, always difficult…
At the end of 2022, Messi received another cup, this time after Argentina’s victory at the ‘real’ World Cup, at which Queen Máxima’s mother country eliminated the Netherlands, among others. Yet the king also cheered then. “We already made agreements about this before our wedding: my wife is now the Queen of the Netherlands, so she is in favor of the Netherlands. But I have said that if Argentina does not play against the Netherlands, I also cheer for Argentina.”
Fortunately, they don’t have to choose sides this year during the European Championship and both eminences are cheering for the Dutch team. We secretly hope to see the royal couple appear in the stands again!
Source: Nouveau | Image: NL Image
